Changing Project Management - A Quick Guide

Project Management

for Scientists

Project Organization & Control

Christoph U. Keller, [email protected] Sterrekundig Instituut Utrecht

Outline

Where We Are in the Cycle

Initiate Plan Execute

Control Close

•  Project life cycle

•  Linear progression with decision points at boundaries

What We Have: project Plans

•  _{(Science) requirements}

•  _{Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)}

•  _{Baseline schedule}

•  _{Baseline budget}

•  _{Resource plan (this lecture)}

•  _{Communication plan (future lecture)}

•  _{Risk analysis and mitigation plan (future lecture)}

What We Have: Project Team

•  _{Enthusiastic and well-informed sponsor}

•  _{Project team with roles, authorities, and}

Resource Allocation

•  After initial resource assignment and scheduling, many resources are used >100%

•  Can be avoided by changing resource assignments and/or changing schedule (leveling)

•  Resource leveling is last step in making realistic schedule

•  Resource leveling: optimize the use of people and equipment assigned to project

•  Some of it can be made automatically

•  Also avoid under-allocation (people become inefficient)

Project Management Triangle

•  _{Scope = science}

requirements, performance

•  _{Resources = cost, budget}

•  _{Time (to completion) =}

schedule

Critical Path

•  _{Consecutive tasks where delay in any of those}

tasks delays project as a whole

Balancing Act

•  _{Balance project scope against 3 constraints}

1.  Time: will not get project done within time

allotted by project (baseline) plan

2.  Money: can deliver desired outcome on

schedule, but it will cost too much

3.  _{Resources: project cost is ok, but schedule call}

for people, equipment that are not available, even though the money is there to hire/buy

•  _{Balancing required if one or several constraints}

Balancing

•  Balance at project level

•  Make changes that will deliver on time, within budget, and all requirements fulfilled

•  Authority to do that within project

•  Balance project constraints

•  Change requirements, budget, and/or schedule

•  Requires agreement of all stakeholders

•  Balance at sponsor level

•  Choice of which projects to pursue, how to spread limited resources

Balancing at Project Level

•  _{Reestimate Project}

•  _{Change Task Assignments}

•  _{Add People to Project}

•  _{Increase Productivity}

•  Outsource

Reestimating Budget

•  Optimist’s choice

•  Potential to reduce pessimistic estimates

•  _{Positive: legitimately reduced estimates make}

project cheaper and/or faster

•  _{Negative: Wishful thinking since estimates are not} better

•  _{Best: always check estimates, check estimating}

assumptions; do not reduce to please; increase facts supporting cost and schedule

Change Task Assignments

•  Straightforward resource allocation maneuver

•  Add resources to tasks on critical path

•  Positive: reduced project duration at the same cost

•  Negative: Too many cooks as too many people on a

single task work less efficiently, therefore increased cost

•  Best: 3 things to consider when moving resources:

•  Both tasks need the same resource type

•  Critical path may change after resource change

Add People to Project

•  _{Obvious approach to reducing the project}

duration

•  _{Either increase number of simultaneous tasks or}

number of people per task

•  _{Positive: reduced project duration}

•  _{Negative: increase in cost of coordination and}

communication, requires (rare) qualified resources

•  _{Best: some tasks are suitable to be done by more}

people; other concurrent tasks are very

Increased Productivity

•  Some people are more productive than others

•  High performers can reduce schedule and cost

•  Positive: highly cost and schedule effective, better results

•  Negative: other projects will suffer and team is often

overqualified

•  Best: mix top and average people

•  Create experts by putting same people on similar tasks

•  Use WBS to identify tasks that benefit most from top

talent

Outsource project (Parts)

•  Part of project is handed over to outside company

•  Good when required skills are not available within team

•  Positive: greater experience increases productivity, schedule

•  Negative: responsibility move increases risk

•  Best: high risk, high return

•  Find qualified company

•  Clear agreements before work starts using project management approaches

Overtime

•  Easiest way to add more labor to project

•  More efficient than adding more people

•  Positive: no additional coordination, communication required, less distractions in workplace

•  Negative: overtime costs more, less efficient, burnout

•  Best: overtime is perceived as above and beyond

normal

•  Apply sparingly and show benefits to project •  Only when leading to big paybacks

Balancing Project Constraints

•  Reduce project scope (reduced low-priority

science)

•  _{Fixed-phase scheduling (always meet schedule)}

•  _{Fast-tracking (non-traditional task overlapping)}

•  _{Phased product delivery (early, partially useful}

product, full product later)

•  _{Do it twice (quick-and-dirty first, then solid}

Controlling Projects

•  _{Plan is clear, thought-out, manageable}

•  Execution means

•  Work is being done

•  _{Problems arise}

•  Constraints are violated

•  _{Information deluge}

•  _{Not enough time to get everything done}

•  _{Changes occur}

Control Activities

•  _{Manage scientific/technical performance}

•  _{Manage cost, schedule, resources}

•  _{Control changes}

•  _{Manage risks and problems}

•  Manage project team

Change Control

•  _{Every project faces changes in requirements, cost,}

schedule, resources

•  _{If not carefully controlled, project goes out of}

control

•  _{Once approved, requirements, cost, schedule, etc.}

become controlled

•  _{Changes to ‘controlled’ requirements etc. must}

Change Management Process

•  _{Identify potential change, submit change request}

•  _{Document and analyze change request}

•  _{Evaluate change and impact on project plan}

•  _{Obtain formal approval on change}

•  Implement and document change

Configuration Management

•  Subset of change management

•  Makes sure everybody uses the same version of

documents, plans etc.

•  Configuration management for any project part

where different versions occur during life of project

•  Project control documents

•  _{Electronic files}